Chapter 143: Chapter 125: Fire Disaster (5,000 Words)
Qi Yun nodded, thought for a moment, then once again approached a firefighter and politely asked, "Hello, comrade. I’d like to ask if it’s possible to deduce the cause of the fire now?"
"We don’t know yet. There will be a specialized team coming to investigate on-site later."
No sooner had the firefighter finished speaking than a group of people in uniforms approached, led by a middle-aged man with a stern expression.
"May I ask who is responsible for the drug factory?" the middle-aged man asked coldly.
Cao Yufei quickly stepped forward two steps, "I am."
"Hello, we are investigators from the fire department, here to further understand the situation of the fire." The middle-aged man said as he showed his credentials.
Then he scanned the warehouse with his eyes before asking, "Can you tell us if there were any unusual circumstances before the fire, such as old wiring or electrical safety issues?"
Cao Yufei recounted the discovery of the fire in detail and added, "We always pay attention to safety, and the warehouse’s fire-fighting facilities are regularly inspected. I really don’t know how it suddenly caught fire."
The investigators took notes while nodding, then examined the warehouse with flashlights, occasionally taking photos.
They inspected carefully, not missing a single ash mark on the floor or a soot stain on the walls.
After a long time, an investigator straightened up and told Cao Yufei, "The scene is severely destroyed. Our preliminary judgment is that the fire was likely caused by an electrical issue, but further testing is needed to confirm."
"How frequently do you inspect the electrical circuits here?"
Cao Yufei frowned, trying to recall, "We hire a professional electrician for inspections every year. The last check was just last month, and everything was normal then."
The investigator nodded and recorded the information in his notebook.
At this moment, another investigator spotted a severely burned electrical box in the corner of the warehouse and called his colleagues over for inspection.
Qi Yun also moved closer, seeing the casing of the electrical box already deformed by fire, with its copper wires tangled messily, emitting a burned smell.
"It looks like there is a problem with this electrical box. It is likely the source of the fire," one of the investigators said.
Cao Yufei’s face turned even more grim, "This electrical box has always been fine. How could it suddenly start a fire?"
The investigator did not immediately reply but continued to inspect around the electrical box.
After a while, when they had finished taking photos and notes, they finally said to Cao Yufei, "We need to analyze further to determine the specific cause. We will take this electrical box with us."
Cao Yufei nodded weakly, "Alright, thank you for your hard work."
At this point, Qi Yun stepped forward and asked, "Comrade, could you tell me when the investigation results might be available?"
"It depends on the specifics of the investigation. If we’re quick, it might take three to five days, but if slow, it could take about a week. The scene is severely damaged, and many key clues have been burned. We must carefully identify them," the investigator replied.
"Got it, thank you."
"..."
After they left, Cao Yufei squatted down on the ground with his head lowered, looking somewhat distraught.
"Old Qi, I’m sorry. I didn’t expect it to turn out like this."
Qi Yun squatted down as well, comforting, "It’s not your fault. No one could have predicted this situation."
Cao Yufei sighed and continued, "Don’t worry, I will compensate you for the loss of this batch of Tufuling. I have other herbs that could sell for about seven to eight hundred thousand, plus I have a small apartment to sell..."
Qi Yun waved his hand and interrupted him, "Let’s talk about these things later. Let’s finish this business first."
"I don’t think we can use this warehouse temporarily. Where will tomorrow’s shipment go?"
Cao Yufei looked up and thought for a moment, pointing to the two-story office building opposite, "There are a few empty rooms on the first floor. I can clean them up tomorrow. It shouldn’t be a problem to store things there for a while."
"Alright." Qi Yun nodded and patted him on the shoulder, "Stay positive. As long as the people are safe, everything is fine. Money can be earned again."
"Get some rest quickly. We need to find medicinal materials tomorrow."
Cao Yufei gave him a grateful glance, "Yes, you should also rest. It’s been a whole night."
...
When he got home, Qi Yun tossed and turned in bed, not knowing what he was thinking.
The next day, after breakfast, he did not go straight to the drug factory but first went to Liu Meng’s house.
Liu Meng was a little surprised to see him, "Why did you come without calling?"
Qi Yun handed him a cigarette, joking, "What? Do I need to make an appointment to see you now?"
Liu Meng chuckled sincerely and took the cigarette, lighting it.
"Are you home alone?" Qi Yun asked, looking around the room.
"Yes, there’s no work at the construction site today," Liu Meng explained, "My wife went to set up a stall to sell clothes early in the morning, and my daughter is boarding at school and only comes back on weekends."
Qi Yun nodded, put out the cigarette, and continued to ask, "Do you have anything urgent these days? If not, can you help me with something?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Meng immediately patted his chest and said cheerfully, "Why are you being so polite with me? Just let me know what you need. As long as I can help, I definitely won’t hesitate."
"Alright, let’s talk in the car."
The car started quickly, and Qi Yun told Liu Meng about gathering medicinal herbs and also informed him about last night’s fire.
After listening, Liu Meng frowned slightly and took a while before asking, "Do you want me to keep watch over the medicinal herbs these days?"
"Indeed. No matter how last night’s fire occurred, we can’t have any more issues with the subsequent medicinal herbs. I’ve invested almost everything I have into them," Qi Yun replied.